Stars Colliding
by MyJediLife
Summary: Ben Solo cut himself off from the Force and left the Jedi Order 10 years ago after the girl he loved died. He has since become a smuggler and a Resistance Pilot, and when he is sent on a mission with a Jedi named Rey, it is the last thing Ben wants to do. Will he finally be forced to deal with old wounds and find love again?
1. Prologue

The tall man stood watching as the fire licked away at the last vestiges of his sanity. His brothers stood next to him, one to each side. Ben knew that if he so much as thought about taking a step forward, at launching himself onto the pyre so that he could burn alongside his love, his brothers would stop him from doing so without hesitation. Ben raised his eyes from the pyre to find those of his Mother's, his own sadness mirrored in hers. She knew the toll this was taking on him. To her left stood his Father, Han's eyes sad as he watched the flames burn higher. Han had never cared for ceremony, and was trying to carefully mask his emotions for the sake of both himself and his son. His sister was also there, standing on their Mother's left, her hand clutching Jagged's as tears ran down her face unabashedly.

Ben knew he should be crying, but all he felt was empty and numb. The moment Kat had been struck down, Ben had died with her. He was nothing but a shell now, and he was positive that if he looked in the mirror, all he would see staring back at him was a ghost of the man he had been three days ago.

Ben hardly noticed as people started to leave, the fire now starting to burn low. He wouldn't leave, though, not until every ember had cooled.

"Ben. SON."

Ben tore his gaze away from the pyre long enough to look at his mother as she placed the palm of her hand on his cheek. He knew Leia had loved Kat, and he knew she was mourning her loss like Kat had been one of her own children. Tears brimmed in his mother's eyes as she simply looked at him, her bottom lip quivering.

"Would you like me to stay with you, Ben?" Leia asked softly.

Ben shook his head at his mother. He just wanted to be alone and watch the rest of his life burn away into ash.

…..

Ben stood in front of the mirror in his quarters a week later, staring into the depths of nothing as he nodded his head, resolute in the decision he had made.

The Jedi Order had taken her from him.

The _Force_ had taken her from him.

He would allow neither to control him any longer.

A flash of anger and pain ignited deep within him, and Ben let it grow until he saw nothing but a red haze where his face had been in the mirror a moment earlier.

He drew in a breath….

And cut his connection to the Force.

 _I will no longer be your slave. I am my own man._


	2. Chapter One

_10 Years Later_

Ben had avoided working with Jedi – minus his family, of course – for the last decade, and he had liked it that way. He had worked his ass off to pay his Father back for the _Nevermore_ , and he had helped the Resistance by smuggling more goods, people and information than he'd care to think about. But this mission, well, it had been the only time he seriously considered telling his mother to kriff off.

 _Three Days Earlier_

"Mom, No!"

Ben ran a hand through his hair, huffing in annoyance as his mother leveled _that_ look at him. Even at twenty-eight, he wanted to shrivel away from it.

"You are the only person we have available right now, Ben. We need a civilian transport – we can't use any Republic or Resistance ships."

"Send Jaina, Jacen or Anakin then. I can't, Mom, I'm sorry. Ask me to do anything else but this. Shit, I'll even hop in an X Wing and take on a Star Destroyer… but I am _not_ working with a Jedi. I am not a Jedi transport taxi service. No." Ben's eyes were sad, filled with the same pain, the same numbness that had been there for a decade now, and Leia wished she could reach through the holocom and hug her son.

"Your sister and brothers are on missions. You are the only one who can do this for me, Ben. Please! After you get this done, you can go home to Chandrila… go to the bar in Junari Point and drink for two weeks or so to decompress. You know I wouldn't ask if I had any other choice!"

Shaking his head, Ben knew his mother's words were true. "Fine, Mom. This one time, I will do this one time for you, and for the Resistance."

 _Present Time_

Coruscant was a pit of scum and villainy, and Ben had always hated coming to it. Glancing at the chrono on his wrist, he let out a snort and rolled his eyes before ordering another glass of Raava. He hated running behind schedule, and this Jedi he was supposed to meet for a transport was late.

Didn't Uncle Luke still teach routine and being accountable at his Praxeum?

Downing the drink in one swallow, Ben nodded at the droid bartender to indicate he wanted a refill, glancing around the bar as he waited, his long fingers tapping out a rhythm on the bar top impatiently. If it wasn't bad enough that he had to work with a Jedi, it was worse that it was a Jedi who apparently couldn't keep time.

"Um, are you Ben?"

Ben turned his head slightly to see a woman, his eyes looking her over to see if he would answer her. Seeing the lightsaber clipped to her belt, he nodded, downing the new glass of Raava in one swallow and standing.

"They teach you how to keep a schedule in the Praxeum still?" Ben asked, his voice a low rumble of annoyance as he looked at the woman. "Surely they teach you how to read a chrono? You're late. I don't like being behind schedule. Let's go."

He didn't wait to see if the woman would follow as he made his way through the bar to the exit. Pressing his commlink, Ben sent a message to his astromech, letting the droid know to have the startup sequence done and the engines fired up before they got back to the starport.

Luckily, the woman had kept up with him, and as he made his way to one of the speeder vehicles, Ben looked over at her again. "You got a name, Jedi?"

Rey looked up at him, wondering just what she had done to make the man so angry. Leia had warned her that her son was 'gruff' and 'sometimes drank too much', but the energy coming off him right now was anger and annoyance – with a hint of sadness and inner turmoil thrown in for good measure.

"I'm Rey."

She figured keeping the interaction short was probably for the best, given his current mood.

Ben grunted in response, hopping into a speeder and motioning for her to get in beside him. "Got R3 getting the startup sequence going on the _Nevermore_. We should be able to get out of the starport in fifteen minutes or so. That should only leave us about ten minutes behind schedule."

Rey just nodded, getting into the speeder beside him. As he navigated through the traffic of Coruscant, she took a minute to look him over out of the corner of her eyes. Leia had shown her a holo of Ben, and it still shocked her that he looked nothing like his siblings. Jacen and Anakin both had lighter hair, and Anakin had a kind, young face that still showed innocence despite his twenty-three years and training as a Jedi. Jaina was definitely her mother's daughter – one could tell that simply by looking at her.

Then there was Ben. He was taller than everyone else in his family, his shock of dark hair unruly. His eyes were dark brown and expressive, with a set of full lips and a long nose. He simply didn't fit into the picture of the Solo family – which made him entirely intriguing to her. Rey had always been a curious girl, after spending so much time on Jakku by herself growing up, people simply fascinated her now.

Rey wondered why he didn't follow in the footsteps of his siblings, who were all Jedi. Was he not Force sensitive? Leia had told her that Ben was a smuggler like Han, and was also an impressive X Wing pilot when called upon. He was certainly having no issues navigating the speeder though the knot of Coruscanti traffic.

Finally, the starport came into view, and a smile came to Rey's face as she took in all the different ships docked there. She absolutely loved flying a ship when she had the chance. It was still amazing to her, seeing all the different kinds of ships all docked in one place. Coruscant was simply incredible to her as well, with its buildings and people… she had never seen anything quite like it.

Ben brought the speeder to a stop in front of a XS Corellian Light Freighter before hopping out, his eyes going to Rey as he remarked, "This is it. My ship. Come on." He turned, his long stride making it a short walk as he stepped onto the _Nevermore_ , a rare smile coming to his lips at the familiar sight of his home. He _loved_ this ship more than almost anything in the Galaxy – he had worked his ass off to retrofit her with weapons and everything he would need to both help the Resistance and make enough credits to live fairly well.

As Rey stepped onto the ship, Ben looked at her, waiting for her to make some kind of remark about the ship. Most people saw both the _Nevermore_ and his Dad's _Millenium Falcon_ as nothing more than bolts and buckets of rust – but Ben knew both ships worth. All he saw in her eyes was an appreciation for the ship, so he raised his hand, pointing towards the passenger compartment.

"Quarters are through that passage. Pick whichever you want. Only place that is off limits is my quarters – you'll know where that is because the door is closed. Welcome to the _Nevermore_. We'll be out of this hole in about five minutes or so, so stash your gear and get ready to jump to hyperspace."

Ben turned, heading to the cockpit to make sure everything was in place. R3 had, as usual, done his job, and all Ben had to do was contact the Coruscanti starport to get clearance to leave. Once he had gotten the appropriate clearance codes, he called over his shoulder, "Hope you're ready back there, because we are leaving."

Rey had managed to stash her meager belongings in the first open set of quarters she had come to. She had to admit, for an older ship, the _Nevermore_ was well taken care of. Clearly, Ben had gotten some aptitude for ship maintenance and piloting from Han. Heading into the common area, Rey heard Ben's call, responding back to him with, "I'm good back here!" before she sat down in the nearest seat. It didn't take long for her to feel the familiar shift as the ship went into hyperspace, and she looked up as Ben entered the room as well, his tall form blocking the doorway for a moment before he folded himself into a chair, tipping it back on its legs and propping his feet up on the table.

"It'll be about three days to Rodia. That is where you needed to go, correct? Mom only gave me a few details – plausible deniability and all, I guess." Ben shrugged, his eyes seeking out Rey's. Even without the Force, he knew how to read people, and he could see the Jedi was confused by something. Certainly, she was probably wondering why one of the Solo children – the misfit, the Black Sheep of the family – wasn't a Jedi. He could honestly care less what she was thinking about him. He had been without the Force for a decade now, and he was happy with his life.

Wasn't he?

A fleeting memory came to his head, of when he and Kat had managed to sneak away for two days together between missions. He had been truly happy then, his life full of promises and love. But the Force… the Jedi… they had stolen that from him. No, he was his own man now, and he was happy.

Sitting the chair back on all four legs, Ben grabbed the decanter of Raava off the counter nearby, pouring himself a glass and downing it in one swallow.

Yeah, he was happy alright.

This was going to be a long mission.

…

Three glasses of Raava later, and Ben found himself still seated across from Rey, one corner of his mouth turned up in a half smile. "So…" Ben had been ignoring her, for the most part, since they had left Coruscant, his datapad and Raava keeping him occupied as he pretended not to watch her moving about the _Nevermore_ , her hand coming out several times to almost caress the durasteel of the ship.

"You seem to appreciate my girl here," Ben continued, one hand reaching out to lovingly touch the nearest wall of the ship.

Rey nodded, her eyes meeting his. Stars, but that tiny smile of his was attractive, and she wondered what it would do to her if he graced her with a full, genuine smile. Would it make those expressive eyes of his light up? "I do. She's gorgeous. I've been on your Dad's ship quite a few times, even flown her before. You Solo men know how to pick sturdy ships."

"Indeed," Ben said in agreement. Tapping his fingers against his leg, he just looked at Rey for a moment before running a hand through his hair. "Look, I'm not used to having a lot of people here with me. I am sure you have… questions. Since we're going to be working together on this mission, we should develop a working relationship, don't you agree? Let me start: where are you from, Rey?"

Her eyes met his, her face coloring slightly under his gaze. Han and Leia certainly made beautiful children, but Ben, Ben held a certain intensity that Rey found breathtaking for some reason. "Jakku," she breathed softly, her eyes never leaving his.

"Jakku?" Ben let out a snort, his eyes going to his now empty glass. "I've been there. Nothing but sand and thugs."

Rey narrowed her eyes at his words. "Yes, well, that sand and those _thugs_ were my life for nineteen years."

Ben let a grin come to his face then, knowing he had managed to get under her skin. Throwing his hands up in the air, Ben laughed before standing and grabbing the decanter of Raava, refilling his glass as he looked back over his shoulder at her. "Hey, no reason to get all defensive, your Jedifullness. I never said _you_ were a thug! Besides, I work with _thugs_ and _rebel scum_ every day practically. I don't judge."

"Yes, well, you can't blame me for getting defensive. Perhaps you should watch your tone when you're insulting people's home worlds, you drunken buffoon." Rey stood in a huff before sliding past him and heading into her quarters. Folding herself onto her bunk, she crossed her legs and tried her best to find the balance within that she was so sorely lacking right now.

Ben watched as Rey pushed past him, the grin staying on his face. As soon as the door to her quarters slid shut, Ben shouted, "It takes more than four glasses to get me drunk, darling! I'm just getting started! Go… find your damn balance within your, oh so precious Force, or something. This is why I hate working with Jedi!"

Plopping back down in his chair and pushing it back so it tilted precariously on two legs, Ben settled his feet onto the table once more, his legs crossed at the ankles. Pulling his datapad into his hands from where he'd left it lying on the table, he lost himself in a podrace, downing three more glasses of Raava before he felt the familiar warmth of intoxication rush over him.

"You, Ben Solo, are a jerk," he mumbled to himself, his words slurred as they left his mouth. "She's good-looking, sweet, she can kick ass with a lightsaber, and you insulted her, you idiot. You need to go apologize."

Standing, the room spun for a moment before righting itself, and Ben made his way to Rey's door by holding onto whatever was available at the moment. Knocking softly, Ben called out, "Rey? Open the door. Please?"

As the door slid open, Ben let a slow smile come to his face, and he ran a hand through his hair, trying to remember what he was going to say. Wait, he had come to apologize for being a jerk – right? "Right," he said out loud, his hand clutching at the door frame as he swayed a little.

Rey's brow furrowed in confusion, and Ben realized she had no clue what he was talking about.

"I… came to apologize. I'm sorry I made you mad. You're cute when you get mad though, you have this little crease in your forehead. I… I kinda wanna hug you right now. Can I hug you?" Ben opened his mouth to say something else, but instead, he giggled as he took an unsteady step forward, his arms wrapping around Rey's slight frame in a hug. "You… you're so pretty. So sorry I made you mad."

Rey stood in silent surprise as Ben's frame filled her doorway after she slid her door open. Was he… drunk? She remembered what happened when the men on Jakku got drunk – and it was never anything good, that was for sure. But, stars, he was so adorable with that smile on his face – and he thought she was pretty?

"I… okay?" Rey said softly, blushing as suddenly Ben Solo's arms were around her, and he was pulling her in for a hug. Was he… giggling? Rey couldn't help it – she had to smile at how adorable he was acting – even if he was drunk.

Rey had to admit, being hugged by Ben was amazing. He radiated warmth, and he smelled absolutely glorious – like Raava, spice and the underlying scent of the outdoors, somehow. She breathed in his scent deeply before unfolding herself from his arms, looking up into his eyes, only to see his bottom lip coming out in a pout.

Letting out a laugh, Rey shook her head softly. "Okay, Ben. Apology accepted. Now, you need to sleep this off. Come on, you overgrown, scruffy smuggler. I don't think I can get you back to your room, so just climb into my bunk."

Ben graced her with another smile, the pout leaving his lips as he did so. "Thank you, Rey. I mean it. You are pretty. And I am sorry. I… I think I need to go to sleep now." At her offer, Ben somehow managed the three steps to her bunk in one large stride, practically falling into her bed, his eyes closing even before his body was settled onto the sheets.


	3. Chapter Two

Ben woke, head pounding and his mouth as dry as a Tatooine sand dune. Turning his head, his eyes widened as he made out the small, sleeping frame of Rey beside him. Reaching down, Ben made sure his clothing was intact still, relief flooding through him as he found everything to be well in order.

 _How much Raava did I drink last night? Why am I in Rey's bunk? What the kriff, Solo?_

Trying his best to maneuver himself out of the bed without waking Rey, Ben stood for a moment beside her bunk, watching her sleep. The smattering of freckles dotting her face were endearing, and as she let out a tiny yawn, her eyes fluttered open, widening in surprise as she saw him standing beside her bunk.

"Wha-What are you doing staring at me? Leave!" Rey sputtered, pulling the sheet around her tighter, even though she was still clothed in the previous days clothing. When had she decided to crawl in her bunk anyways? The last thing she remembered had been sitting in the chair, watching Ben sleep and smiling at how innocent he looked.

Throwing up his hands, Ben turned, mumbling, "Sorry," before he fumbled with the door, finally getting it to slide open so that he could step out into the corridor of the _Nevermore_. R3 beeped at him, giving him a systems and navigation report, and Ben ran a hand over his eyes, trying to process all the information and finding that he needed a pot of fresh caf before he could begin to comprehend anything. Heading to the galley, Ben got his first cup and sat at the small table, datapad in hand and rocking the chair back on two legs, kicking his feet up on the tabletop in his usual fashion.

Moments later, he could hear Rey's light footsteps approaching, and without looking up, Ben pointed at the galley, his eyes still on the datapad as he read the latest propaganda the First Order was spewing across the Galaxy. "Caf is fresh, if you drink it. If you don't drink it, I'll question what species you are, because it's not human at that point. Oh, I have this rule – if you take the last cup, make a new pot. I get grumpy without it."

His gaze stayed focused on the datapad – because if he didn't look up, then he didn't have to look at her. If he didn't have to look at her, maybe they could pretend that he hadn't been a drunken asshole the night before – a drunken asshole who had passed out in her bed.

He had to admit though, waking up next to her, with her scent in his nose… had been nice.

 _Knock it off, Solo. She's Jedi. You know where the kriff that got you last time. Alone. Right where you deserve to be. You're on your own now. You want to get laid – go to a pleasure house on Coruscant._

Rey shuffled to the aforementioned pot of caf, pouring herself a cup and taking a moment to let the fragrant steam drift into her nose. She had acquired a taste for the drink at the Praxeum. Of course, she liked to add sugar to it, and found that without it, it tasted bitter and was far less enjoyable to her palette. After a moment of looking, Rey found a small container of sugar, adding a reasonable (at least to her) amount of the sweetener to the cup, before turning – and almost running straight into Ben, who had apparently gotten up from the table to refill his cup.

Lifting an eyebrow, Ben asked, "Perhaps you'd like a little caf with your sugar?" His lips ticked upwards into a smile, and as he reached around her to pour another cup for himself, Rey found herself wondering idly what he would do if she kissed him. He was just… delicious-looking, from his expressive brown eyes, to a wave of raven hair that Rey was positive would feel like the Cyrene silk all the women on the Resistance base gushed about someday owning. He was so different from his family – dark where they were light, his features sharp while theirs were softer. He was, by far, the most handsome, intriguing man Rey had ever met.

So, as Ben was reaching around her to put the carafe back after pouring himself a refill, Rey took a step forward, her arms circling his neck as she buried her face in his chest, taking in his scent and the way his body felt against hers.

Ben stiffened, and Rey realized her mistake, jumping back with a tiny squeak, her face coloring.

"I-I am so sorry, Ben. I-I just wanted to thank you. You know, for agreeing to do this for the Resistance."

Ben nodded at her, stepping around her and going back to the table, where he propped his feet up once more, his attention back on his datapad. "Welcome."

…

Rodia had never been his favorite place to visit, but Ben knew his mother had many important contacts there – contacts that would have information Leia needed. Luckily, Rey would be handling that aspect of the mission. He would be handling a different aspect – one that couldn't be handled by a Jedi and their oppressive moral compasses.

Ben had contacts on Rodia as well. Contacts who had some goods of the _killing_ variety, and so while Rey was handling the diplomatic aspect of this mission, Ben would be handling the messy part. While he didn't know exactly what Rey was getting, he knew what his mother had tasked him with. The Resistance needed more weapons, and they could only be found through his black market contacts. He had spent the past ten years – with some help from his father, of course – making these contacts, and he knew they always came through for him.

Bringing the _Nevermore_ out of hyperspace, Ben called back into the living quarters of the ship, "Rey! Have you ever seen Rodia before? They have bubble cities, and everything is… well, come up here and see for yourself!" Leia had told him that before Luke had discovered Rey and brought her to the Praxeum, she had been living a scavenger's life on Jakku.

He hated sand. He always had. It must have been ingrained in their DNA after his Grandfather and Uncle had left Tatooine – no one in the Skywalker lineage would ever like sand.

Rey appeared beside him, offering him a smile as she looked out the viewport, the planet in all its lush green and blues coming into view. "Ohhhh," Ben heard her say softly, and he glanced over at her, just watching as her eyes lit up with wonder at the planet below. "It's beautiful," she said next, settling into the co-pilot's chair.

"I.. well, I don't care for it that much," Ben admitted after a moment. "I always feel… I don't know, claustrophobic, I guess, within the bubble cities. It doesn't feel natural, somehow."

 _Not to mention it's hard as kriff to make a getaway if needed_ – Ben knew this from experience. Five years previously, a deal had gone bad, leaving him trying to navigate the _Nevermore_ through both blaster and laser cannon fire, while trying to input the proper codes to allow him an exit from one of the cities. Luckily, it wasn't the city they had to travel to for this mission – Ben still had a mark on him for that little stint, and the inhabitants there wouldn't be kind to him if he ever went back.

Looking down at the controls, Ben began inputting the entry sequence for entering the Rodian air space. Rey's voice drifted to him quietly from the opposite chair, "Can't R3 do all this for you? You enjoy piloting, don't you? I know Han does as well."

Ben looked over at Rey, giving her a nod. "I do. I feel… complete. Calm. In control. I don't know how else to explain it."

"Like it's what you're meant to be doing," Rey replied softly, her eyes glowing with the reflection from the dim lights of the _Nevermore's_ panels.

"Yeah. Like that," Ben said in an equally hushed tone as he brought them into atmo and landed at the spaceport.

…

The city of Matza was small, but teeming with life as they disembarked. Handing Rey a comlink, Ben stopped to give R3 instructions for when they were gone. "R3, security protocol three. Only Rey and I are allowed on board. You got it, buddy?" R3 beeped his acceptance, and Ben turned to look at Rey. "Be careful. If you need me, use the com, okay?"

Rey nodded before turning, and she got three steps before turning back around. Ben was still standing in the same spot, checking to make sure he had everything he needed for his own excursion. "Ben?" Rey called softly, loud enough so that he could hear her over the citizens of Matza going about their daily business. He looked up, his eyes serious as they met hers. "You be careful too."

Ben smiled at her and nodded, and Rey turned once more, making her way to a small café where she would be meeting Leia's contact.

…

Ben strode into the cantina, looking around and surveying the crowd before going to the bar and getting the Cathar tending bar's attention. "Sixteen days until the rain falls," he said casually, watching as the male nodded to him as he pressed a button on his comlink before lifting his chin towards a back hallway slightly to indicate that Ben was free to make his way down it. Nodding, Ben made his way down the hall, stopping only when two large Crolutes stepped in front of him.

"Blasters stay here," one of them growled, and Ben put his hands up in surrender before letting out a laugh.

"I know the routine, boys. C'Afth doesn't want surprises. I get that." Ben took his blaster from its holster, handing it over to one of the Crolutes, putting his hands up again and turning so they could see he didn't have any other blasters on him. Reaching behind them, one of the guards opened the door, letting Ben step inside before closing the door behind him.

"Ben Solo! So good to see you again!" The lilting accent of the Ithorians rang out across the room, and Ben let the ghost of a smile drift onto his lips. He was uneasy – which wasn't unusual when he was trying to broker a deal – but something was different about this deal already.

Something wasn't right.

"C'Afth. Nice to see you as well," Ben said dryly, approaching the large wooden desk the male sat behind. Standing in front of the desk, Ben eyed the Ithorian suspiciously, waiting for him to speak again.

"What can I do to help the Esteemed General's cause this shipment?" C'Afth trilled, steepling his fingers in front of him as he looked up at Ben.

"We're in need of blaster pistols, carbines, thermal detonators, ten ion cannons, and as many lightsabers as you can come up with," Ben said, glancing around the room.

"Ahh, yes. I am sure things have become more… difficult… in recent months with the First Order closing their fists around the Republic?" C'Afth eyed Ben, putting him more on edge.

"You could say that. Do we have a deal?" Ben asked, something telling him that he needed to leave a quickly as possible.

"Will you have what I require upon delivery?" C'Afth asked.

Ben hated smuggling spice. To him, the drug was nothing more than a scourge on the Galaxy. It changed people, made them angry puppets, only worried about their next fix. But – it brought in a lot of money for people like C'Afth – which, in turn, got him the weapons and goods the Resistance needed. Leia would never agree to the Resistance's funds being used to purchase spice – but Ben did what was needed for their cause.

"I will," Ben said.

"Very well. We'll do the exchange in three days." C'Afth slid a datacard across the table to Ben. "The coordinates for the exchange are there. Pleasure doing business with you, Solo."

"Yeah, same," Ben said, the uneasy feeling growing as he pocketed the datacard on the inside pocket of his jacket before backing out of the room. C'Afth didn't seem to notice, as his attention was now on the datapad on his desk. Reaching behind him as he felt the door hit his feet, Ben opened it, stepping back into the hallway with the Crolutes. Instead of feeling relief, he felt the uneasiness still washing over him in waves.

The Crolute handed him his blaster with a soft grunt, and Ben took his weapon, sliding it back into its holster, keeping it unsnapped for easy access if needed. Striding down the hallway, Ben didn't bother to stop at the bar for his usual drink, instead opting to get back to the _Nevermore_.

He had a bad feeling about this.

…

Luckily for Rey, her meeting had gone well.

She had never met a Rodian before, but she found the male to be gracious and kind. In fact, he had been more than eager to give the information Leia needed to the Resistance – information that would help them in finding ammo dumps and weapons factories that the First Order would rather keep secret.

All in all, it was a good outcome to her first mission as a Jedi.

As she strode down the street on her way back to the spaceport, Rey couldn't keep the smile off her face. Matza was _fascinating_ with its street markets, all of them sporting colorful flags and banners, and there were all sorts of delicious-looking food and treats. She wandered from booth to booth, purchasing several different things that looked so appetizing she couldn't pass them up. Rey wasn't used to having credits, but as she had slid the datacard to her, Leia had assured her that anything she purchased would be fine.

The gathering of men outside a cantina, all dressed in matching red and brown, caught her eye, and as Rey watched in silence, they seemed to disappear into an alley behind the cantina – probably to lay in wait for some unfortunate person. Settling onto a bench to eat the last of her food, Rey kept her eyes on the cantina.

…

Ben headed out the door to the cantina, glancing around as he stepped onto the street. Turning, he started towards the spaceport, starting to feel some relief – until six figures clad in matching red and brown armor surrounded him, their weapons drawn and pointed at his head.

"Ben Solo!" One of them said, his accent leaving no doubt as to who it was.

Putting his hands in the air, Ben rolled his eyes, grumbling out a response, "Bala-Tik. What can I do for you gentleman today?" _Six to one weren't_ _ **bad**_ _odds_ , he thought to himself. _I can take out at least four of them before I die._ "I thought we were squared away after our last deal?" Ben said, letting a smarmy smile come to his lips.

"You got a mark on your head, Solo," Bala-Tik said, sounding almost gleeful at the fact that he would be bringing in the son of Han Solo for a bounty.

Raising an eyebrow, Ben let out a laugh, sounding very much like his father. "Yeah, right. That mark was taken off after I delivered the credits to Velsik on Typha-Dor. Your intel is wrong. It's okay, I know these things happen…" Ben started to take a step forward, only to find the weapons were thrust closer to him now.

"Look, Bala, you know me – I pay my debts!" Ben said, trying to buy time so he could find an out.

Letting out a crude laugh, Bala-Tik responded wryly, "You sound like your Father, Solo. He still has a mark on him from Kanjiklub. We'll deal with Han Solo later." Bala-Tik kept his weapon trained on Ben's head, not relenting an inch to the taller man. "Now, are you coming along, or do we have to bring them a dead bounty?"

"Hey now, my Dad paid them! Man, your intel really sucks, you know that?" Ben moved quickly, sweeping his foot out and taking Bala-Tik's feet out from under him, the weapon the man had trained on Ben now reappearing in Ben's own hands, the weapon now resting against Bala-Tik's right temple. "Wow, a Tostovin Munitions Percussive Cannon. This is some high tech stuff right here! It even has a reinforced kinetic channeler in the barrel, _plus_ a recoil counterweight calibrator in the stock. Oh, look, it has a targeting sight! Do you really need that though, with its blast radius?" Looking around at the other five men, Ben laughed, quipping next, "I wonder… how much of his head would be left if I fired this right now? You guys have an idea?" Ben looked back down at Bala-Tik, his voice changing into something much darker and dangerous now. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't blast your brains into the ground right now."

Bala-Tik smiled at him, and with one quick movement of his hand, sliced a path between Ben's thigh and ankle with a vibroblade, laughing as Ben fell to the ground, a hiss of pained breath leaving his lips.

…

Rey watched as Ben exited the cantina, his long stride and height making him hard to miss as he started down the street. As the men surrounded him, Rey stood, pocketing her uneaten food in her bag before creeping closer, using the Force to conceal her somewhat.

As the men started talking, Rey just listened, shaking her head slightly as Ben spoke. He was so like Han – trying to talk his way out of everything. Rey knew Ben could handle himself – his parents had taught their children that at an early age – but as the vibroblade sliced through Ben's leg, tearing a path through flesh and muscle, Rey stepped forward, her voice soft and menacing in its own right as she spoke.

"You will put your weapons down and leave this area immediately. You will never try to claim another bounty on a member of the Solo family again." The men looked up at her – Ben included – and took a step forward towards her.

With greater resolve, Rey pushed into their minds a little more forcefully this time. "You will put your weapons down and leave this area immediately. You will never try to claim another bounty on a member of the Solo family again."

The men stayed put this time, before all of them could be heard mumbling, "We will put our weapons down and leave this area immediately. We will never try to claim another bounty on a member of the Solo family again."

With that, the men all put down their weapons, heading down the alley and out of sight.

Rey looked down at Ben, a grin on her face for a moment until she saw the scowl and look of utter disgust on his face. Why the kriff was he mad? She had just saved him from what would at least amount to a beating, if not death – and he was angry? She didn't understand.

"Ben? We… we should get out of here. You need to tend to your leg," Rey said, going to Ben and kneeling down beside him.

"I got it," he said through gritted teeth, pulling himself to his feet with a slight hiss of air. Looking around, Ben gathered the discarded weapons, a slight smirk on his face before he looped their straps around his neck and started down the street without another look at Rey.

Rey's eyes narrowed as she watched him head down the street, practically running in order to catch up with him. As they walked towards the spaceport, Rey finally spoke, her breath coming at gasps as she took two steps to every one of his.

"Isn't it customary to thank someone for saving your ass? I know you weren't raised a savage, your siblings are all polite and civilized," Rey hissed out, letting her annoyance show at his silence. She wondered if this is why Leia had referred to him as _gruff_. Perhaps a rude, inconsiderate bantha's behind would have been more accurate, and as they finally reached the _Nevermore_ and boarded the ship, Rey let the full depth of her anger at Ben's reaction come out.

As she turned to face him, Rey was shocked when Ben beat her to the punch after he had stashed the weapons in one of the smugglers holds. "Shut up, Rey. Let me get us into hyperspace and off this Force forsaken hunk of Bantha fodder planet before you lay into me. Stars, you really have been around my mother a lot, haven't you?" Brushing by her, Ben made his way to the pilot's seat, settling himself into it with another hiss. He would need to get bacta patches on his wound before too much longer.

Ben settled into the familiar routine of piloting the _Nevermore_ , trying to ignore the pain that was throbbing in his leg. Even more, he was trying to ignore the anger he could feel coming off Rey in waves from where she sat in the galley – staring a hole through the back of his head, more than likely.

Ben knew she wouldn't understand why he was so angry at receiving her help earlier. He had certainly _needed_ it at that particular moment – but she had used the Force, something that he had shunned a decade again. As much as Ben told himself that he missed being a Jedi, that he missed feeling that familiar power flow through him – he abhorred it in an equal manner. The Force had taken _her_ from him, the Jedi had robbed him of the life he was supposed to have – and he was still angry about it. He would _always_ be angry. What was the use of having mystical, wonderful powers at your beck and call if they couldn't save the one person you loved most?

That was the reason Ben hardly ever went home, and the reason he refused to work with Jedi.

He didn't want to remember what he had given up, what he had sacrificed. He didn't want that reminder every time he was around Jedis.

As soon as they had made the jump into the hyperspace lane that would take them to their next destination, Ben dragged himself to his feet, trying not to moan in pain. The vibroblade had given him a lengthy wound, partially cutting into muscle, but it wasn't terribly deep – so with some bacta patches and some rest, he would be fine in a few hours. Having to deal with a very pissed off female though… that was nothing a bacta patch could handle. Glancing towards the living area of the _Nevermore_ , Ben sighed and raked a hand through his hair before grabbing the medkit he kept stashed in the cockpit. After applying both bacta patches and cream, Ben made his way towards the galley, heading straight to his bottle of Raava and pouring himself a glass before he turned to face the single person firing squad who was sitting in a chair practically vibrating with anger.

"You, Ben Solo, are an overgrown, scruffy…" Rey started in, her eyes narrowed.

"Nerfherder?" Ben finished, unable to keep a grin off his face.

"Pile of Bantha shit!" Rey finished, standing from her chair with such force that it crashed to the floor. "I saved your ass down there, and you couldn't even thank me! Would you rather be dead?"

Ben shrugged indifferently, downing his glass of Raava and avoiding her gaze.

"Maker, Ben! Those men would have drug you off to Force knows where! You didn't have a chance, the odds were clearly stacked against you – you were outgunned, outmanned…" Rey continued, her voice barely under an angry shout.

"Hey! Never tell me the odds, Your Jedifulness! I had it handled just fine until you brought your stupid Force into it!" Ben yelled back at Rey, his eyes sparking with anger. "I didn't need your help, and I certainly didn't ask for it! Kriff, I swear, you Jedi are all the same!"

"You should know!" Rey yelled back. "You were one of us once, then you just walked away like the oversized, laser brained Hutt Spawn that you are! I know how strong in the Force you were – they still talk about that at the Praxeum! And you just threw it all away to become… this! Flying around the Galaxy, getting accosted by gangs of thugs… You're an idiot, Ben Solo! A huge kriffing idiot!"

"You." Ben stalked closer to Rey, one long finger extended outward towards her. "Don't." He took another step closer, his eyes full of fury as he advanced on her. "Know." Now he was close enough to touch her, his eyes boring into hers angrily still. "Anything."

And then he was pulling her into his arms, like they were magnets being drawn together by some unseen force in the Galaxy, and his lips were crashing down on hers even as he told himself it was a horrible idea. After a moment, her arms looped around his neck, her tongue seeking entrance into his hot, waiting mouth. Ben took a moment to explore her mouth, his teeth skimming across her bottom lip as he tasted her. One hand plied through her hair, his tongue delving deep in her mouth now, their tongues tangling as Rey let out a low moan.

It was that moan that pulled him to his senses, somehow, and Ben backed away like she had burned him, his hands dropping to his sides as he backed up until his body hit the durasteel behind him. Shaking his head in an almost panicked way, Ben reached out, picking Rey up easily and holding her at a distance as he carried her to her quarters before setting her down to open the door. Without looking directly at her, Ben picked her up in the same manner again, this time depositing her just inside the door before closing it between them.

His breath was coming in spurts as he attempted to calm his racing heart and shattered nerves. What the kriff had just happened? One minute they were screaming at each other, the next he was kissing her like he… like he had wanted to for a very long time.

Ben's eyes widened in realization, and he shook his head.

No.

He would never allow himself to be involved with a Jedi again. He was done with the Jedi, done with the Force. He had let the past die, he had killed it – all so he would never have to watch another Jedi… another woman… he loved die in front of him while he stood there helplessly, not being able to move.

No.

He wouldn't let this happen again. He would keep his distance. Keep it professional until they got back to Felucia and the Resistance base. No problem.

And as he resolved himself to keep his distance from the Jedi, something hard crashed against the door of her quarters, and Ben heard her yell, "I hate you!"

Looking at her door, Ben whispered, "I know."


End file.
